Time Makes You Bolder
by klutzysunshine
Summary: After she realizes what she regrets most, Skye decides she doesn't want to leave Ward in the framework and devises a plan to resurrect him.


**I don't own Agents of SHIELD nor will I ever. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

Skye hated herself for not wanting to leave the framework - Ward and their life together, specifically. The fact that she had to save her family was the only thing keeping her going on her mission, which surprisingly, Ward was helping her with. "I know I'm not real but I still love you," he told her and she melted.

"Why do you have to say shit like that?" she grumbled but laughed when he pulled her in for a kiss.

"Because it's the truth," he told her, grinning from ear to ear.

Skye laughed and rolled her eyes at him. "I can't believe I didn't realize you were this cheesy sooner," she teased, leaning her head on his shoulder.

He yawned. "Now let's go save our friends." He was upset that he was about to lose this life - that he wasn't real - but he'd do anything to make sure that the love of his life was happy and safe.

"I'm going to miss you, Grant Douglas Ward." She also missed her long hair and was going to grow it out once she got back to the real world. Short hair was easier to handle, especially when they were spies, but she found herself longing for this life again. Granted, Jemma was dead and everyone was Hydra but that wasn't true in their actual life.

"Same here, Skye Johnson." And that was another thing - Skye actually missed being called by the name she had chosen for herself and was considering changing it back again. Skye Daisy Johnson was a possibility she wished she had thought about before reverting to her birth name but she had been too caught up in drama at the time to even think straight about anything. But right now, she had to bring something else up.

"I found that engagement ring you didn't hide very well, Grant. You want to be Skye Ward." And fuck, this framework of regrets was really screwing with her.

He froze for a second. "Damn it, I should have known you would find it. It was my grandmother's," Ward explained, his palms starting to sweat. What the hell was wrong with him? He wasn't even real.

She just sighed and bumped into him as they walked out of the apartment hand in hand. She really liked this place and hoped it actually existed because she actually liked having a place of her (their) own. They ran into Jemma as soon as they exited the building. "Finally! Nobody would let me in and I was about to shoot somebody," she ranted.

The two of them stared at her for a few shocked seconds before pulling her in for a hug. "We were looking everywhere for you," Skye sobbed, terrified that her friend was truly dead.

"Yes, I saw the grave." Jemma turned to stare at Ward. "Thanks for not catching me when I fell out of the plane, by the way. Really appreciate it!"

"Sorry?" Grant apologized after he sidestepped a playful punch. He still felt guilty that he hadn't been able to save her even though Skye had reassured him multiple times that it wasn't his fault and he needed to stop blaming himself.

"Well, at least you didn't get proposed to by a robot. Need to talk to Fitz when we get the fuck out of here," Jemma casually mentioned and wasn't disappointed when Skye and Ward stopped dead in their tracks.

"I understand we were running for our lives at the time, but what?" Skye questioned, suddenly curious about this story despite everything.

"Oh yeah, robot Fitz said he wanted to marry me right after he stabbed me." Jemma smirked. "Going to have to talk to the real one about this once we save everybody's arses. Now let's go!" she ordered.

"So we're going to the Triskelion first because that's where May is. Hopefully we can knock some sense into her. I can't believe she's Hydra in the framework. What the hell?" Skye pondered, still confused about this turn of events.

"It probably some way to distract you from your mission," Ward theorized. It made the most sense to him but he wasn't one hundred percent convinced.

"Fitz is a billionaire and Coulson is a professor. I hope it won't take too long to wake them up from this world." Jemma was anxious to get back and have everything back to normal.

"We got this," Skye assured her.

Ward squeezed his girlfriend's hand. "You don't have to worry, Simmons. Everyone's going to survive this framework."

Jemma eyed him warily and Skye shot her a look but her friend could only shrug. "I'll tell you later," she mouthed.

* * *

They sneaked into May's office and immediately regretted it as they turned around and tried to pretend they hadn't just witnessed the horrors in front of them. "My eyes!" Skye wailed.

"They definitely have some regrets. Oh my God!" Jemma knew they couldn't have knocked first because that wasn't logical but she was traumatized now.

Ward laughed. "I'm guessing shit will be awkward between them now?"

"What the fuck are you all doing here?" May demanded, straightening herself up and glaring daggers at the intruders.

"Who are you?" Coulson asked.

"It's Daisy and Jemma," Skye reminded him. "This isn't real. The LMDs created a framework to distract by letting us fix your regrets, and apparently you and May regret not fucking each other."

"Not that it's any of your business but we love each other," May snarled. Then she stopped to stare in confusion as the words sunk in. "What did you say?"

Jemma stepped in then. "This world isn't real. I'm alive, obviously! Wait, was I SHIELD in this world? Whatever, that doesn't matter. We need your help to take down the Life Model Decoys currently infiltrating SHIELD.

It was clear that Coulson and May didn't believe them so the three of them reluctantly left and went to track down Fitz (that didn't go that well either).

* * *

When Ward was out getting some take-out, Skye made Jemma sit down to talk to her. "What's going on, Jemma?"

Jemma sighed. "By nature of the framework, Ward shouldn't be capable of helping us. He doesn't exist. Something's off here but I can't figure out what." Maybe he was real somehow? But that couldn't be right.

"Something is weird about this situation," Skye admitted.

Jemma cocked her head. "So what exactly do you regret in regards to Ward?" she probed.

Skye averted her eyes before confessing the truth. "I still love him, Jemma. I regret not giving him a chance when he needed it. And I miss Lincoln but I should have helped Grant when he needed it. John Garrett kidnapped and abused him, and we all blamed him for his betrayal instead of trying to constantly shitting on him and selling him out to his abuser. We fucked up. And I know you still hate him but it's the truth."

Jemma hesitated before finding telling Skye her theory. "I think he's real somehow. Don't ask me how that's possible but I think we were meant to find him here."

Skye's mouth dropped open but before she could say something, Ward unlocked the door and entered the apartment holding pizza. "Grab some paper plates!" he told them.

Skye couldn't get the idea out of her head and wouldn't stop making out with Ward the next day in front of the Triskelion - May had called them there because she wanted to hear them out. Jemma rolled her eyes. "Do I have to spray you two with water?"

They reluctantly pulled apart. "No," Ward lied.

They made their way up to May's office, where Coulson was waiting for them too. "We're starting to get these flashes," May explained.

"None of it makes sense." Coulson stared at his hand - the one he lost in the real world - and flexed it.

Jemma and Skye sighed in relief. "Good, you're starting to remember. That makes this easier, especially once we find Fitz."

"What is Ward doing here?" Coulson suddenly did a double take and narrowed his eyes at the trio.

"We'll talk about that later," Skye dismissed, her eyes landing on a stone sitting on May's desk. "What is that?"

May looked behind her. "It's a resurrection stone that Hydra wanted control of but I took for myself."

"Oh." An idea was starting to build but Skye waited until their backs were turned before she stole it. Then the whole group left to hunt down Fitz.

He didn't want to believe it at first but Jemma mentioning the LMD's not-proposal somehow knocked some sense into him. And with that, the whole group - including Ward - started working on a way to get back to the real world and kick robot ass.

* * *

"I'm going to miss you," Ward murmured to Skye, his forehead on hers. "I don't want you to go even though I know you have to get back to your world."

"I love you so fucking much, Grant." And then she grabbed the resurrection stone, hoping for the best, and threw it down in front of him. "You're coming with us."

The ground started shaking. "How?" he asked in confusion.

"What is going on?" Fitz yelled.

"I'll explain later!" Skye called back, hoping she hadn't fucked up and that this wouldn't blow up in their faces.

The whole group came to with a gasp and Skye's hands started to tremble when her eyes fell on the extra body on the plane. She rushed to Ward's side and shook him away. "Grant?" she questioned, sobbing.

He came to with a groan. "Skye?"

"We need to get out of here." Jemma limped over to their sides, and she and Skye helped him out of the plane before they ran to find their family.

"How is this possible?" Ward's head was spinning and he had no fucking clue what was happening. "Am I a robot too?" he fearfully questioned.

She shook her hand and grabbed his knife to cut his arm. He scowled at her but there was no obviously no machinery inside him. Skye choked back a sob. "You're real, Grant, but we'll talk about this later. We have a base to save and robots to kill first."

Fortunately, the others had woken from the mainframe so Skye, Jemma, and Ward had some help taking back the Playground. "You really need to think about finding a new base since this one has repeatedly been compromised!" Ward yelled to Coulson in the midst of battle.

"Shut up!" Coulson called back.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but he's probably right!" That came from Fitz, who was trying to stall the inevitable proposal conversation with Jemma.

"We'll talk about it later! Everybody shut the fuck up!" May wanted revenge and they all gladly left her have it.

It wasn't until hours later they all could relax because they had stopped the robot uprising, at least for now. Skye dragged Ward back to her room.

"I don't understand how I'm back, Skye." He paced back and forth, annoying her.

She patted the bed and urged him to sit down. "I think someone - not sure who - made sure your brain was replicated or whatever - before the whole Hive situation went down and that's how you're still alive. You're not a robot because they didn't want you to be. The resurrection stone shouldn't have worked because it wasn't real but it did and I'm not going to complain about it. I'm so in love with you and this is your second chance, Grant. Don't waste it."

He surprised them both by letting out a sob. "Damn it, why I am crying?"

"You're going to make me cry. Damn it!" Why was he doing this to her?

"You really want to be with me?" His head felt clear for the first time in a long time and he hated himself for his actions but wanted redemption. Hopefully he could earn it and make up for his past.

Skye nodded. "Of course I do. The framework woke me up for the first time in a long time. I have a lot to make up for myself but I'm going to be with you every step of the way so you can heal. The team too - I'll make sure of it."

He reluctantly smiled and she wiped the tears off his face. "Now you want to make love? Everybody else is busy and won't come looking for us for a while."

"Not tonight but I'll gladly take you up on your offer in the morning." He yawned and pulled her closer to him, kissing the top of Skye's head. "This is nice."

"I'm definitely comfortable." She kissed him again, knowing they had a long road ahead of them but she didn't really give a fuck right now.

The framework had changed the team's life in a variety of ways and although Skye (and the rest of them) would never trust robots again, she was thankful Aida had given Ward a second chance at life. She intended to make up for some lost time with her boyfriend too. Surprisingly, the robot uprising hadn't been all bad as it forced them to admit some truths they had been avoiding for a long time.


End file.
